News reports coming out of Burma and the border areas of Thailand detail increases in the number and severity of sexual assaults. We were in the country in late November, and the report we issued called attention to ongoing sexual and gender-based violence – and the complete lack of meaningful action by the Burmese government on this issue.

As the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence drew to a close last week, we were proud to see two members of Congress - one a Republican, one a Democrat - raise their voices on this vital issue.

The first, Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) told the House of Representatives, "My grandmother used to tell me that you never hurt somebody you claim you love. As the leader of the free world, it is critical that the United States promotes this simple truth throughout this country and other countries."

For Americans living comfortably and securely, the life of a refugee seeking safety and survival is hard to imagine. Conflict, persecution, abuse, and threats force a refugee to flee, leaving behind their home and possessions, their friends, their community, and often their family.

They flee without knowing if they will be able to return to their loved ones and communities, or if they will be accepted somewhere they can be safe. Social and gender discrimination often makes women’s search for safety even more difficult.

Much has transpired in Libya since I left the country several weeks ago. On October 31, Libya’s de facto government, the National Transitional Council (NTC), appointed an interim prime minister, Abdurrahim el-Keib. Keib, a Libyan-American, will be responsible for leading the country for the next seven months, until elections for a national congress are held.